1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a toothbrush which is anatomically designed and constructed to effectively and efficaciously remove plaque or calculus from the inaccessible interproximal spaces between adjacent teeth, and at the same time gently massage the gingival tissue and effectively clean the teeth. The toothbrush includes a unique and novel bristle arrangement at one end of an offset handle. The bristles are arranged in tufts embedded in and anchored to a toothbrush head which is integrated with the handle in a conventional manner. The bristle tufts are arranged in twelve transverse or lateral rows with each transverse row including four tufts of bristles except for the outermost trans-verse row which includes only two tufts of bristles. The odd numbered transverse rows of tufts of bristles are all the same length and the even numbered transverse rows of tufts are of a length less than the odd numbered transverse rows of tufts. The even numbered transverse rows of tufts progressively increase in length with the even numbered transverse rows of tufts at the outer end portion of the brush head having a shorter dimensional length than the even numbered transverse rows oriented inwardly toward the handle. All the bristles and tufts are rounded to prevent injury to the gingival gum area. The other end of the handle is provided with an accessory brush in the form of a tuft of bristles to reach areas which may require individual additional or special attention due to teeth positioning and is especially useful for removing food debris and plaque from gingival pockets to assist in preventing periodontal disease.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Periodontal gum disease is one of the major causes of the loss of teeth especially after the age of about thirty. Millions of people in the United States and throughout the world are plagued with periodontal gum disease. The predominant causative factor of this disease is the formation and accumulation of plaque on the teeth. Plaque is generally a sticky, mass which adheres to the surfaces of the teeth, especially at the gum line. As the plaque accumulates, the mass becomes harder due to the deposition of insoluble calcium salts. This hard mass accumulates under the gingiva and progresses toward the root end of the tooth and destroys the attachment fibers of the tooth to the supporting bone. The gingival tissue then becomes infected and the teeth become loose and eventually have to be extracted. This disease is called pyorrhea or periodontal disease.
Various efforts have been made to reduce the incidence of periodontal disease or pyorrhea. Efforts to promote good dental hygiene by regular toothbrushing, the use of dental floss, irrigating by pressurized water discharged through a jet nozzle, and by scaling to remove the plaque or calculus at regular intervals by professionals skilled in the art of cleaning teeth.
Among the efforts to promote optimum dental care is the use of toothbrushes having bristles arranged in tufts oriented in arrangements and combinations designed to clean the teeth. The following patents disclose structures in this field of endeavor.
1,059,426 PA1 1,657,450 PA1 2,042,239 PA1 2,797,424 PA1 3,007,491
Conventional toothbrushes which have all the bristles of the same length are not capable of reaching the interproximal spaces which have varying depths in different areas of the mouth. In order to provide maximum care for the teeth and their supporting gingival tissue and underlying bone structures, the plaque and food debris must be removed from the interproximal dental areas thereby preventing the accumulation and hardening of plaque and calculus. Since a conventional toothbrush cannot reach these interproximal spaces in an effective manner, resultant injury and bleeding of the gingival gum tissue can occur. Plaque will accumulate, harden and grow under the gingival gum tissue toward the root end of the teeth, thereby stripping the gum tissue attachment from the supporting interproximal bone and form periodontal pockets. These pockets can become infected and the teeth become loose resulting in a periodontal condition usually referred to as pyorrhea. Existing toothbrushes do not include a structure capable of providing the required accessibility to remove plaque from these inaccessible interproximal areas.
In distinction to existing toothbrushes, the invention as disclosed in this application will reach and effectively clean these inaccessible interproximal spaces thereby reducing the formation of plaque and calculus and maintaining teeth in a clean and healthy condition.